Post: #1

I'm rather green in this area so if someone has an idea please be specific. We already know the world and internet is going mobile and that google glasses is likely to be the game changer (if they actually deliver it).

I like the idea that the world getting all digital allows to make money by sitting somewhere in the world rocking your keyboard all day making cash this way. So which IT skill is worthy to focus on and why?

Ideas? Predictions? Experiences?

Post: #2

Virtualization skills. If you have solid networking experience or certifications like CCNA and then went after a VCP cert from VMWare, you can pull $135K+ in the DC, NYC, or Silicon Valley areas.

And I just read the other day that 99% of things in the world still aren't connected to the Internet, so....

Post: #3

Network for sure. CCNP atleast. Best thing is you can do a lot of side jobs since you can remote in and out anytime you want. Started my CCNA/CCNP last week just so I can do shit while at work and get paid double time

Post: #4

(04-09-2013 08:21 AM)chyamor Wrote:  Network for sure. CCNP atleast. Best thing is you can do a lot of side jobs since you can remote in and out anytime you want. Started my CCNA/CCNP last week just so I can do shit while at work and get paid double time

It sounds like the OP is looking for something 100% location independent.

Are there any network admin jobs that are truly location independent? If so, can you elaborate? It's not my field so I'd be interested to know more.

I always told people that networking is not the ideal choice to be location independent because
1) Some stuff you can fix remotely but there are always physical boxes, cables etc involved from time to time.
2) The business demands high availability of their infrastructure. So the business messages you from Chicago at 10am with a serious outage. Meanwhile, it's 11pm in the Philippines and you've already been drinking for six hours. How do you manage that?

One lucrative field is SAP professionals. Those guys earn big bucks. It's kind of an inefficiency in the market, but it's been that way for at least a decade and it doesn't look like correcting any time soon.

You would need to put in minimum two years in regular offices to accumulate skills and prove your expertise. And the nature of the work is dry and boring, to say the least. After that, you have a fighting chance of going 100% location independent as the skills are quite scarce.

Post: #5

I am SAP consultant myself and I like it very much. There is new things everyday and its not really that technical, you need to understand business side alot aswell. It seems that there is alot of offers around, dont really know about the competition in the market since I havent looked around for a job. Also its quite hard to get started in this field and gain experience but once you find a way, its pretty good.

Post: #6

Software. No contest. You make a big data analytics software you will make $100K a day. Chances of average guy doing this 0.0001%.

Post: #7

supply chain software

Jim Rogers says the only ones who will be making moola are manufacturers in the next century. Not services. By being a supply chain consultant, you get the best of both worlds

Post: #8

(04-09-2013 01:08 PM)guerrilla Wrote:  supply chain software

Jim Rogers says the only ones who will be making moola are manufacturers in the next century. Not services. By being a supply chain consultant, you get the best of both worlds

Interesting... could you flesh this out a little bit? Like, what would supply chain software do for companies?

Post: #9

supply chain is everything: procurement, sourcing, shipping, assembling, etc.

companies dont do all that shit inhouse anymore, they use a bunch of subcontractors. supply chain management streamlines this process of getting all the actors together.

Post: #10

My pick list is as follows ;

1. Security - always in demand

2. Enterprise networking esp architecture - always in demand

3. Enterprise Storage - To the cloud!

4. Virtualisation - In demand

5. Project Management - someone has to manage all these geeks (PMI. Prince2 etc..)

6. SAP - a cunt of a platform that takes years to deploy, more years to fix and there is always demand for it

Post: #11

CRM Developers.

SAP.

Post: #12

Big Data is HUGE right now. Some data scientists are getting above 300K with the norms being 125K-150K even for college grads. Some skills you want to focus on are mathematics(specifically be well versed in stats), NoSQL(and other versions of SQL), Hadoop, R, a mainstream programming language and relational data base theory.

Heres a link to a data science course at CourseEra. It starts on May 1st and is taught by University of Washington. Alot of the fundamentals can be learned during that course.

Some other great areas to get certified in would be VMWare technologies like VCP5-DCV(data center virtualization) and the VCP-Cloud cert for cloud computing.In addition certifications for Cloud Computing like the Cloud Computing Infrastructure Architect cert by IBM and the EMC Cloud Architect Certification (EMCCA) are in high demand.

I currently work remotely and I am in the data storage field. If virtual system admin work appeals to you(big demand in the cloud sphere) then being location dependent is definitely feasible since many companies don't want to take on travel costs since they manage datacenters in many different countries. It can also be dependent on making a arrangement with your manager.

Post: #13

A software developer can usually make more money and also commands more respect. Developers don't like to be referred to as IT.

There is a geek hierarchy. No offense IT guys.

But it will take more effort to get the skills. Though a good shortcut might be - http://devbootcamp.com/

Security & SAP are good. SAP consultants can travel a lot.

A good niche could be software developer specifically for Apple computers.

All can be good money but having your own business is really the only way to get rich.

Post: #14

I was a mediocre programmer, and all my skills went obsolete! I got into health care, and it's more reliable because the human body doesn't change much, computer languages change and get dropped although with something like SAP it be decades and you'll be rich before it gets dropped.

Also learning new computer languages gets harder and harder as you age, just like regular languages. Take Ruby on Rails for instance, if you're 45 and trying to learn it and don't already know a very similar scripting language, and you're competing with 25 year olds, it's going to be rough.

For real-world medium term, X-ray techs don't need to to a whole lot of school and the pay seems good. However, no location independence, you've got to put the person into the machine. But they can't oursource it to India, although the radiologists can be outsourced.

Post: #15

(04-09-2013 11:25 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  Also learning new computer languages gets harder and harder as you age, just like regular languages. Take Ruby on Rails for instance, if you're 45 and trying to learn it and don't already know a very similar scripting language, and you're competing with 25 year olds, it's going to be rough.

I don't agree. Once you learn one language, it is easier to learn another if you have a solid foundation. The hard part is learning object oriented programming and other architecture like mvvm, mvc, etc...

After that, it is easy since it will come down to syntax and frameworks. Age has nothing to do with it from my experience.

Post: #16

(04-09-2013 01:04 PM)WestCoast Wrote:  Software. No contest. You make a big data analytics software you will make $100K a day. Chances of average guy doing this 0.0001%.

Create it and they will come is a fallacy. Well, I should say it is more like hitting the lottery.

There are a ton of talented programmers that can create software but they cannot market it.

Post: #17

Thank you all for answers. I'll check it out.

Yes I admit location independent is 10/10 ideal. But let's just brainstorm and share any good ideas.

Post: #18

(04-09-2013 11:25 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  I was a mediocre programmer, and all my skills went obsolete! I got into health care, and it's more reliable because the human body doesn't change much, computer languages change and get dropped although with something like SAP it be decades and you'll be rich before it gets dropped.

For real-world medium term, X-ray techs don't need to to a whole lot of school and the pay seems good. However, no location independence, you've got to put the person into the machine. But they can't oursource it to India, although the radiologists can be outsourced.

Do you think x ray tech's or other medical field jobs that don't require a lot of school (and have a huge number of females ) would let you go to a new city every year or 2? That would be fun if possible.

Post: #19

Business systems.

But the real bank is with cryptology. Literally, banks are the biggest employers for people in that field.

Post: #20

(04-09-2013 11:48 PM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  

(04-09-2013 01:04 PM)WestCoast Wrote:  Software. No contest. You make a big data analytics software you will make $100K a day. Chances of average guy doing this 0.0001%.

Create it and they will come is a fallacy. Well, I should say it is more like hitting the lottery.

There are a ton of talented programmers that can create software but they cannot market it.

I am not talking about a software system I am talking about big data analytics. The networking space will become virtualized. You will see a wave of tech innovation where the routers and switches are run virtually.

Networks = the new servers.

Just like what VMware did to servers, someone will do that to networking. The person who does that will be a very very rich man. I've place a few bets on who will. Tough call though, but it's the only thing that matters in tech over the next decade because you can "run it" on the Internet which crushes social networking platforms if you're a black hatter now you've got a full virtual platform running serious heavy shit

People underestimate the impact, it basically means a real hatter can make $1M in a day no problem. Who cares if people don't want your product your already virtualizing their revenue = good night.

Post: #21

I've got a Prince2, which thankfully can be used in any industry and in any location in the world.

Post: #22

I'm thinking about going back to school to take some courses in either Ios/android development, Web development, Game dev, or Networking. It's gonna take 3 months for a course but I have to choose one coz the fee per course will take a huge amount from my work savings. I was leaning to the one that offers IOS dev first but I heard that Networking is in demand? Can you guys confirm this? (I might eventually post a new thread to ask for some guidance )

Post: #23

What do you guys think about working with Data and data analysis? It seems to be in demand and not so easily outsourceable.

Post: #24

(04-10-2013 02:30 PM)augen sehen Wrote:  What do you guys think about working with Data and data analysis? It seems to be in demand and not so easily outsourceable.

Big data is a growing area because executives are seeing data-driven companies do well.

Right now big companies (and governmental organizations) that want to be data-driven are either having to figure it out for themselves or buying overpriced software from mainstay companies like SAP and Oracle.

Personally I think mobile apps are a bigger deal than software if you want to pick up some work. They take less time and the market has fewer barriers to entry because you get access to an app store and phones/tablets are everywhere.

Post: #25

(04-10-2013 02:30 PM)augen sehen Wrote:  What do you guys think about working with Data and data analysis? It seems to be in demand and not so easily outsourceable.

they are having problems filling these roles because of the required background needed to be effective in the roles, they seem to want people with things like PHD's in math etc..

maybe its a good thing that banks do not know what to do with all their data, they would become even more dangerous if they did as they have more then just about anyone when it comes to the movement of money and how we spend it which is a marketers dream come true.

Big Data does pay very well though and is growing in demand for sure, if you can swing it then do it.

Another area that pays very well is coding high frequency trading platforms and algorithms, you can swing 500k a year doing that sort of stuff if your code is very good.

The comment above about virtual networking, its already being done in the security space with platforms like VSX from Checkpoint , and hardly anyone knows it so it pays very well if you do.